Nineteen UCDSB students qualified for provincials at skills competition in Cornwall last week

Seen in image above: Carter Giff, a student at Smiths Falls and District Collegiate Institute, participates in the small engine repair event at the Eastern Ontario SKLZ Competition. Courtesy photo

February 26, 2018

Students to Compete in Skills Ontario Competition May 7-9 in Toronto

CORNWALL — Nineteen students from the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) have qualified for the Skills Ontario Competition May 7-9 in Toronto after the Eastern Ontario SKLZ Competition in Cornwall on Wednesday at St. Lawrence College.

Mason McLeod, North Dundas District High School (NDDHS), heating systems, bye;

Craig MacDonald, GDHS, coding, bye

Juliana Barnhartd, SDHS, job skill demonstration, bye.

The Eastern Ontario SKLZ competition is organized by the UCDSB in partnership with St. Lawrence College Cornwall and the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario.

The event allows students to demonstrate their technical abilities in a skilled trades competition that emphasizes the value of a career in the trades, said Lori Carlisle, a learning partner with the Board. It permits students to connect with like-minded peers. They also meet college students and professors who can tell them about qualifications needed to be successful in the trades, and share stories about real-life experience working in the automotive, welding, carpentry, or other skilled trade.

Students learn about other benefits of a career in the trades such as graduating with less debt than University students and greater prospects for employment. Carlisle notes about 50 per cent of the trades workforce in Ontario will retire in the next five years.

More than 180 UCDSB students participated in Wednesday’s competition in 19 event including: aesthetics, hairstyling, auto service technician, small engine repair, welding, home building, individual construction, cabinet making, prepared speech, photography, TV/video production, journalism, job interview, team of two carpentry, and health and safety. The competition was held at St. Lawrence College in Cornwall.

Scroll down to share this article. Scroll down to search nationvalleynews.com. Scroll down to comment.